Young women need the right to safe and legal abortion. But many states place barriers on young women’s access by requiring parental notification or even consent. Studies have shown that when barriers like these exist, young people wait longer to have an abortion – increasing the possibility of the procedure’s being illegal in their state, and meaning they now need a riskier procedure to end the pregnancy.

Women in low income countries also need access to safe and legal abortions. Complications from pregnancy are the leading cause of death for young women ages 15-19 in low income countries. Each year at least 2 million women undergo unsafe abortions and tens of thousands die from them. United States policies contribute to an anti-choice climate and limit young women’s access to abortion.

No young woman, anywhere, should be forced to seek out an illegal, dangerous procedure or carry a pregnancy she didn’t want to term.